Another Question About Brakes

Muskie said:

My brake levers are the XT 750 integrated units. I have LX V-brakes on
the bike because I have read several places that XT brakes suck. A
question about the XT brake levers. I notice that where the cable
connects into the brake lever (you can see it when the brake lever is
depressed), there are what look like little shims held in place by
screws. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of these little guys is and
how, if I change them around, I will affect the braking? Thanks.

Those are there to prevent REALLY BAD STUFF from happening. Do not,
ever, remove them. If you do, REALLY BAD STUFF will happen.

miles

Quoted message said:

I have read several places that XT brakes suck.

Hardly. It's the pad material that sucks.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Muskie said:

My brake levers are the XT 750 integrated units. I have LX V-brakes on
the bike because I have read several places that XT brakes suck. A
question about the XT brake levers. I notice that where the cable
connects into the brake lever (you can see it when the brake lever is
depressed), there are what look like little shims held in place by
screws. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of these little guys is
and how, if I change them around, I will affect the braking? Thanks.

If you're on about the bit I think you're on about, it's called something
like the "Ajustable Servo assist" or some [censored]. Basically altering them is
meant to give you more or less cable pull for the same travel. Get the PDF
from Shimano and read up on it before you do any messing though.

Yeah, thanks Doki, that's what it is -- adjustable servo shift. I've
read through all of the Shimano .pdf stuff and there is no mention
anywhere of how to adjust them or their purpose. Right now I have the
little blocks behind the cable connection. If I take one or both out
from behind the connector and place them in front, what effect will that
have?

Thanks again.

- Noel

Doki said:

Muskie said:

My brake levers are the XT 750 integrated units. I have LX V-brakes on
the bike because I have read several places that XT brakes suck. A
question about the XT brake levers. I notice that where the cable
connects into the brake lever (you can see it when the brake lever is
depressed), there are what look like little shims held in place by
screws. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of these little guys is
and how, if I change them around, I will affect the braking? Thanks.

If you're on about the bit I think you're on about, it's called something
like the "Ajustable Servo assist" or some [censored]. Basically altering them is
meant to give you more or less cable pull for the same travel. Get the PDF
from Shimano and read up on it before you do any messing though.

Muskie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

My brake levers are the XT 750 integrated units. I have LX V-brakes on
the bike because I have read several places that XT brakes suck. A
question about the XT brake levers. I notice that where the cable
connects into the brake lever (you can see it when the brake lever is
depressed), there are what look like little shims held in place by
screws. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of these little guys is and
how, if I change them around, I will affect the braking? Thanks.

We (this group) had a discussion about this not long ago.

Those plastic spacers are "pitch adjusting blocks," According to
Shimano (Jed Hazen), with all of the blocks out the rider gets "an
ample degree of braking force from a minimal amount of brake lever
input." The line is, that the
beginner setup is with all the blocks in place, and the most advanced
is with all the blocks removed. The M951 XTR levers had a similar
setup, only they used a block and screw so the pitch was micro
adjustable.

R(epeating myself)

Muskie said:

Yeah, thanks Doki, that's what it is -- adjustable servo shift. I've
read through all of the Shimano .pdf stuff and there is no mention
anywhere of how to adjust them or their purpose. Right now I have the
little blocks behind the cable connection. If I take one or both out
from behind the connector and place them in front, what effect will that
have?

It alters the cable pull ratio. It will make the brakes softer, but you'll
get less modulation.

--
a.m-b FAQ: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/ambfaq.htm

a.bmx FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/bmx_faq.htm

So I just remove the blocks altogether and don't place them in front (as
opposed to where they are now, behind). Won't that allow the little
connecting thing to just play around in the brake lever freely?

- Noel

Reco Diver said:

Muskie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

My brake levers are the XT 750 integrated units. I have LX V-brakes on
the bike because I have read several places that XT brakes suck. A
question about the XT brake levers. I notice that where the cable
connects into the brake lever (you can see it when the brake lever is
depressed), there are what look like little shims held in place by
screws. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of these little guys is and
how, if I change them around, I will affect the braking? Thanks.

We (this group) had a discussion about this not long ago.

Those plastic spacers are "pitch adjusting blocks," According to
Shimano (Jed Hazen), with all of the blocks out the rider gets "an
ample degree of braking force from a minimal amount of brake lever
input." The line is, that the
beginner setup is with all the blocks in place, and the most advanced
is with all the blocks removed. The M951 XTR levers had a similar
setup, only they used a block and screw so the pitch was micro
adjustable.

R(epeating myself)

Muskie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

So I just remove the blocks altogether and don't place them in front (as
opposed to where they are now, behind).

I don't think that you can remount the blocks in front, the mounts won't line up.

Quoted message said:

Won't that allow the little
connecting thing to just play around in the brake lever freely?

Yes.

R

Reco,

Thanks for fielding my questions here. One more though. You answered
"Yes" on the last one. Is that play supposed to be there just flopping
around in the brake lever? Is that not a bad thing? That would mean that
when I release my lever, the cable will just go completely slack with no
tension at all. That doesn't seem quite right to me.

- Noel

Reco Diver said:

Muskie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

So I just remove the blocks altogether and don't place them in front (as
opposed to where they are now, behind).

I don't think that you can remount the blocks in front, the mounts won't line up.

Quoted message said:

Won't that allow the little
connecting thing to just play around in the brake lever freely?

Yes.

R

Muskie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Reco,

Thanks for fielding my questions here. One more though. You answered
"Yes" on the last one. Is that play supposed to be there just flopping
around in the brake lever? Is that not a bad thing? That would mean that
when I release my lever, the cable will just go completely slack with no
tension at all. That doesn't seem quite right to me.

You probably need to re-tension the cable. Take a close look at the
"wire hooking unit" this is the piece that the cable attaches to. With
the adjusting blocks removed you should see that the end that rides in
the adjusting slot has a simple roller, that allows it to slide
smothly in the slot.

If the calble is loose when you release the lever,it is because the
cable tension is not adjusted. Note that whith the lever closed, the
wire hooking unit returns to the same possition as it would be if the
adjusting blocks were in. It is only when you actuate the lever, that
the wire hookin unit slides down into the possition opened by removing
the blocks.

R